It is hard to take over the world, and the enigmatic Il Palazzo, head of the ACROSS organization, knows this, so he aims to start small by conquering the city of Fukuoka. Two young officers, Excel and her partner Hyatt, are tasked with executing this plan, but standing in their way are the City Security workers, a group consisting of three mostly normal guys, a very severe girl, and some robots. Regardless of simplicity, Excel and Hyatt always manage to screw up their missions, which usually result in death and lots of destruction.
Heppoko Jikken Animation Excel♥Saga chronicles the elaborate troubles that the ACROSS officers get themselves into, as Excel and Hyatt never fail to do their jobs improperly.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
kawaiimisato
This show is one of the definitions of random. I will say right now, if you demand structure or linear plot lines, turn back now. Excel Saga actually not only tells the story of Excel and her escapades, but it is actually three different story lines going at once. We have the tale of Excel, Pedro, and The Neighbors that work for the city. With that said, the story is not easily reviewable but here goes. Well to tell the truth, there really is no story (aside from trying to take over the city) until the last few episodes when random twists of fate bring all three storylines together (dont worry that didn't ruin anything)
Each episode of Excel saga is meant to be a parody of different genre, for instance, there is a sci-fi episode, a fantasy episode, a "power rangers/sailor moon" type one, etc etc. Throughout the course of these episodes, stranger and stranger things start happening and its always entertaining, sometimes funny, sometimes WTF.
The episodes that dont so much focus on Excel have no plot either, and are more of the "daily life" type anime episodes.
As for the art, the animation is top notch. Everything is well colored, choreographed, and presented. They make use of a wide array of animation styles for the various episodes and characters which is a plus.
The sound......i dont even know. This is one of the reasons you love it or hate it. Excel talks extremely fast about the most random things and she can get to be very annoying, or very entertaining. And you may think that "oh she can't talk like this the whole time" but you are wrong, almost the entire time she is running that jaw of hers. Dub or sub, she sounds the same, i dont have a recommendation, pick whichever you normally watch.
Aside from the vocal tracks, the music is quite entertaining. The character themes and sound effects play a big role to help emphasize scenes and actions.
As for enjoyment, I personally found the show very entertaining although at times i did want excel to just STFU but it was worth it in the end to watch it. Dont watch this for any kind of epic plot because you will be disappointed, but if you want highly entertaining, high energy and comical times, check this show out.
Ranivus
Excel Saga is a pure slapstick anime made to do nothing but try to produce a comedy satire of EVERY anime genre made. It actually does a pretty good job making fun of them all. The entire fact that they're just spoofing anime creates a very weak story line. But they do manage to keep a story to keep it all together, albeit full of holes and non seriousness. Character The story mainly follows 2 main characters as they're "trying to take over the world" for a company called ACROSS, i forgot what the acronym stood for. The two girls, Excel and Hyatt, all work undera man called Ilpalazzo. The great thing about the two main characters is that they're complete polar opposites of each other. Excel, is your typical over eccentric and stupidly ignorant girl, and Hyatt, is very under eccentric and is actually pretty smart. Its funny in a sense that they are Literally different from each other. They're not the only characters in the show tho. There are at least a good dozen characters that keep reappearing but always displayed in different situations.
Art and Sound
The art and animation is typical pre-2000 style artwork. Its all kind of lame in my opinion, but they do show their artistic variety in how they have to draw drastically different environments with every episode. The music is forgettable, although you'll laugh at the ED a few times it gets annoying after the 3-4th time listening to it. The op is a little catchy and its a nice touch to have hyatt cough during her singing.
Enjoyment
The best part of the anime is the line execution or the script. The use of the word "Shock" and the running joke of her eating her dog among all the other hundreds of jokes makes this show stand out so much. The simplistic lines flow very well with the simple artwork and characters. They even go far as copying characters from from digi charat, to fist of the northstar, to shinesman (you'll think its power rangers but its really a spoof off of Shinesman), really show the voice range and artistic range albeit a little simple.
Overall
This show does have its high points but its also with its downsides. If you're really into anime comedy, then this would be a good pickup, but even if you're not into the comedy genre it still would not be bad to pickup and watch since there is the possibility of you seeing one of your favorite "classic" anime or genre get spoofed. You'll see jokes coming from lolicon to androids, to poverty jokes, you'll see a little of everything here. It's definitely a different style of comedy and Nabeshin's comedy style transfers very well to his other work, Nerima Daikon Brothers. This anime is not for most people but you'll enjoy the ending
Venneh
Title: Excel Saga Manga/Anime: Excel Saga was originally an manga created by Rikdo Koshi. It began running in Young King OURS in the April 1997 issue, and is still running at this point in time, at. Viz has licensed it Stateside, and the sixteenth volume (and the latest volume to be compiled over in Japan) was released on September 11th, 2007. The anime version was produced by JC Staff (best known for Revolutionary Girl Utena and Honey and Clover), and directed by Shinichi Watanabe (well-known for Nerima Daikon Brothers and Tenchi Muyo! GXP). It ran on TV from October 7th, 1999 to March 30th,2000. It has been licensed by ADV Stateside, and the sixth and final volume was released April 8th, 2003.
Story: ...Story? What story? xD
Basic plot follows ACROSS' (leader Ilpalazzo and lackeys Excel and Hyatt) attempts to take over the world.
And really, that's about it. Because each and every episode can be taken as a self-contained standalone (except for the last ones), and there's almost no continuity, except in the characters, and one or two basic plot elements.
You see, this anime is a parody of every single genre/major show in the history of evah. Sports anime? Done. Youth drama? Done. Gundam? Done. Dragonball? Done. End of the world? ...You get the idea. They even do an episode just to see how far they can violate TV censorship rules.
It's got some good gags. But it's not satire material. It's still pretty well done, though.
Art: There's not a lot to be said here, because it all depends on what they decide to mock each episode. xD But whatever they choose to mock, they do it well.
Music: The lyrics to the OP are hilarious, and the fact that they're sung so horribly out of tune is the only reason the OP stands out. The ED stands out for the fact that it's just a dog barking/woofing/howling, with a translator translating them into a human language for us.
The background music, as always, depends on what they're trying to mock each episode. But as with the art style and story, it's done well. I've still got some random themes bouncing around in my head...
Seiyuu: The big thing for this one is that they got Kotono Mitsuishi (Sailor Moon's seiyuu) to do this, so when they do magical girl parodies, it's even more hilarious, because in a way, she's mocking herself (they even do some very specific mockings of Sailor Moon herself). xD They do this with several other seiyuu. Also, Ilpalazzo's seiyuu is Hotohori's seiyuu (from Fushigi Yuugi) and Touga Kiryuu's seiyuu (Revolutionary Girl Utena), and his seiyuu is right up there with Joji Nakata for me. So, overall, WIN.
Length: I cannot think of a single genre or major show that they did not mock (and any ones that do come to mind are only because they were released after this). Plus, it starts to drag a little at the end. So, yeah, just right.
Overall: A pretty decent parody gag anime with awesome seiyuu and music.
Also, HAIL ILPALAZZO!!
Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Seiyuu: 10/10
Length: 9/10
Overall: 42/50; 84% (B)
Solarius_Scorch
In the beginning I must state that Excel Saga is a hell of an anime series. I mean, there are lots of works that aim to be the over-the-top, crazy roller coaster rides, but most of them end rather poorly. Excel Saga does not, as director Watanabe Shinichi seems to understand well that it takes a genius to make stupidity enjoyable. Let's face it: Excel Saga is stupid. I mean, everyone (except for Nabeshin maybe) is a total loon one way or the other, and the world itself is as realistic and serious as the one in, say, the Naked Gun series or Hot Shots. Still,the viewer is immediately drawn into this world, and the characters quickly become as familiar to him/her as those in 300-episode anime sagas. The sense of humor in this series is completely lunatic, but still very efficient in making the viewer roll on the floor laughing - either because it's so clever or simply so shameless.
One must bear in mind that it is a parody series, and as such it makes fun of so many movie cliches, not only anime. Actually, it seems surprisingly Western in many aspects; the critique of cheap sci-fi, action B-movies, or date games is very appealing to a European viewer (like me). However, the series goes further than just being a parody; the characters are genuinely likeable, the plot (for lack of a better word) is actually captivating, and the art is exceptional. However, I think the greatest accomplishment of the creators is the way the viewer is endlessly being surprised, caught with his proverbial pants around his ankles by sudden twists in the plot and completely crazy (but fun) developments.
Is Excel Saga perfect? No, it's not; I still can't forgive them those two filler episodes made from previously shown material. However, most people will be taken aback by the sheer amount of... aimless energy, displayed not only by Excel herself, but by the entire anime. So much happens all the time that many people will undoubtedly find it annoying or hard to digest. This is not a series for everyone, that's all.
I might sound like a fanboy, but I'll say it anyway: this anime radiates awesomness, if you can handle that. It's not perfect, but it's easy to forgive its failings. However, I'd rather recommend it to more adult viewers, as I think it takes some cultural experience and maturity to fully appreciate this anime.
Hail, Ilpalazzo!
LeaderTGW
Oh my god this show is always great no matter how many times I watch it. I was almost in tears watching Excel Saga again. The box set doesn't lie when it warns you about the comedy. Characters 9.0/10 Amazing characters. When I first started watching Excel saga back in 2005 I actually didn't like the main character Excel. I found her annoying, unfunny, and her personality was awful. 2009 comes around and I decide to watch it again and I was like "okay, this is okay, I think she's alright." Here it is, 2016 and I absolutely love Excel! So it took lots of time notonly for excel to grow on me but the other supporting characters too. Hyatt, Menchi, and Pedro became some of my favorite supporting characters in the show.
Story 8.0/10
What can I say, it is bad, ridiculous, both plot and story! However its biggest and greatest redeeming factor is that it does manage to stay fresh, comedic, absolutely hilarious! fourth wall breaking, brand advertising, cameos, skits, the story is all over the place with great content, consistently too. For the most part Excel saga's "story" and "plot" for each episode is pretty easy to follow. The producers and creator do follow a lot of the original work which is good. The pacing of each episode really varies based on content and other elements, so some episodes can be slow and others fast paced. There are serious, or somewhat serious dialogue in certain episodes however for the most part they were just part of the skit.
Soundtrack 7.5/10
Music was pretty good! My favorite thing about early 90's and early/late 2000's anime shows is the opening & ending songs. Most deliver really catchy opening songs. Love Hina, Azumanga Daioh, just to name of few, have those catchy intro where you either get the song stuck in your head or don't skip it due to the fact that you're singing along to it.
I loved the voice acting done in Excel Saga! My favorite thing about the show is for its time, there was an awful lot lot of English used and spoken fluently. In addition to the speaking, the voice actors did a pretty good job when it came to using english references and jokes. I loved it!
Animation & Art 7.0/10
Pretty good all things considered. I think the animation was good for its time. Special effects looked pretty mediocre however they are still tolerable. Character designs were pretty great. I have no complaints there. Overall I was pretty okay with what I watched.
Enjoyment 8.0/10
I could not help but enjoy Excel Saga, it is hilarious! The performances were good, the pacing of the show was great. I gave Excel Saga 8/10 because I felt that it has a great lasting appeal. If I ever needed to watch a 90's anime comedy that I could actually laugh at, then I would most likely return to Excel Saga! overall I loved it.
Huntsman
What a waist of time. I know this anime is supposed to be a comedy parodying other anime, but it fails miserably. This has to be one of the worst anime series I've seen. The story is, wait what am I talking about there is no story. The characters were just plain useless and had no value. Then there is the animation, which is just plain terrible. I really don't see any value in this anime, unless you mute it, and then you can half way enjoy it watching the hot girls with DD size breasts running around halfnaked. I pray that I never have to see this anime ever again.
5camp
Watching Excel Saga prompted me to make a comparison between it and Seto no Hanayome. They both rely on a mixture of absurdity, parody and taking plot points to the nonsensical extreme to draw laughs from the audience. The only real difference between the two is Seto no Hanayome spends it’s time going to complete extremes with tropes, such as the schoolground division, while Excel Saga spends more time reveling in its lack of a fourth wall. Actually there’s an even bigger difference between the two. Seto no Hanayome is funny. Excel Saga just isn’t. In fact, I’m at a bit of a loss tosay quite why Seto is funny while Excel Saga isn’t. Yes, comedy that often uses randomness to draw laughs can vary hugely from person to person. But let’s leave Seto aside for now and focus on why Excel Saga isn’t funny. It’s hard to put my finger on as to why put a large part comes down to the characters.
Excel is meant to be the character from which most of the punchlines come from. In that sense, a dubbed Excel would have worked better for comedic timing purposes but that wasn’t an option. Excel might as well been speaking in Klingon for all I knew, such was her incomprehensibility. Even if I understood Japanese I would have had to watch the thing subbed, and they were the most difficult subs to keep up with this side of a Shaft anime. There was also a lack of facial expressions. It’s not like they lacked the animation quality to do that. In fact, the artwork and animation in this series were of a very high standard (especially when you compare this series to GTO, which came out in the same year. God did GTO ever look awful). It’s just Excel rarely went beyond shouty loud face. Bloody Menchi had more variety of facial expressions than she did.
The rest of the characters were pretty much a one-trait bunch, which in itself isn’t a bad thing. But those one-traits weren’t funny. Hyatt’s constant deaths were only funny in the last episode where they took it to the nonsensical and hugely bloody extremes. Illpalazzo didn’t do much beyond have theme music and a piece of rope. None of the office staff were remotely funny (what the hell was with the guy who only spoke with writing?) and the mustache Mr.Kabapu was done better by FLCL. Pedro’s story was all a bit of a anomaly in the series that sat there and took up time from the main story, kinda like Chibitalia except nowhere near as bad (for one, the non-chibitalia sections are actually funny). Oddly enough, the star of the show was Nabeshin, the director turned anime character. It’s as if he saw that there was a total lack of other funny characters in the show so he decided to stick himself in to liven things up a bit. His pulling of machine-guns out of his ‘fro was one of the few highlights from the first half of the series.
One thing Excel Saga did have in it’s favour was that the girls were hot. I found myself wishing that they would have more fanservice orientated comedy. This feeling, I have noted before, is usually a sign that the show is failing in other areas when I’m looking towards sex appeal for entertainment (unless you happen to be a certain spin off from Full Metal Panic). Yeah, my mind kept wandering in Excel Saga as I looked for other things in the show to keep me entertained. I was so starved for comedy in what should have been a comedic series that I started finding laughs from parts that weren’t really meant to be for humour. I distinctly remember an episode where a few characters repeated the name ‘Mr.Kabapu’ a few times, something I inexplicably found to be the funniest thing of the series thus far and from then out found myself laughing whenver someone said his name. One thing that helped me continue was spacing the episodes with the occasional Gintama jaunt, which put Excel Saga to shame in every way bar having hot women (sorry Kagura but you stand no chance against Hyatt and Excel).
Because I was desperately looking for something different in Excel Saga, I really enjoyed the last few episodes and the total change in tone. Then there was the last episode which, after 25 previous episodes of relatively unfunny episodes barring the occasional mentioning of Mr.Kabapu, was a joy to behold. Asides from delivering the fanservice I’d been secretly hoping for the entire show, it finally took the show to the nonsensical extremes that it had yet to do.
literaturenerd
Overview: Do you want an anime even more random and completely insane than FLCL, or even Haruhi Suzumiya? Try Excel Saga! It is 15 years old and still probably the crown champion of random insanity. The last episode was so off the rails it couldn't even be aired on TV! Story and characters: 6/10 The "plot" or lack thereof consists of an inept terrorist organization called ACROSS attempting to take over a single Japanese city and eventually the world! The organization ACROSS is led by the maniacal Il Palazzo (note the manga came out in 1995, the year after FF6 and its villian named Kefka Palazzo) who casuallyshoots his own subordinates with a rocket launcher and spends far more time playing dating sims than actually trying to take over the world. His chief minion and #2 is the ferociously devoted Excel, who will do absolutely anything to serve Palazzo no matter how ridiculous or idiotic. This is a series where the main character is killed off multiple times in the first 5 minutes and is brought back to life by the "God of the plot". The Mangaka appears in the show, only to be himself killed off in mere seconds! Most episodes are devoted to making fun of various genres such as Harem anime, super sentai ,daikaiju, and others. The series ends with one of the most batshit insane climaxes of any series ever. EXPLOSIONS FIX EVERYTHING!!!
Art: 7/10
The animation is fluid and full of energy. Excel Saga looked amazing in 1999 and actually still looks pretty good today.
Sound: 4/10
I'm afraid I can't praise the soundtrack. The opening song is extremely annoying and so is most of the OST.
Enjoyment: 6/10
The series probably didn't need 26 episodes and it does get a bit tiresome after a while. I would recommend watching in small segments rather than binge watching this one. This is definitely not intended to be consumed in one sitting. That would be like eating 10 pounds of cotton candy.
Overall: 6/10
Excel Saga is certainly no masterpiece, but it was a unique and fun series. The parody is generally well done and the animation and voice acting is spectacular in both the English and Japanese dubs. I normally don't talk about the voice acting in my reviews unless it's really bad, but Excel Saga is a series that was actually made much better by exceptional voice acting talent. This series isn't as popular now and has been somewhat forgotten by the anime community. I bring it up because it played an important role in anime history. Excel Saga the anime and especially the manga in the mid 1990s helped launch the batshit insane, random genre of anime comedy. Without Excel Saga, it is entirely possible that FLCL, Panty and Stocking, Haruhi Suzumiya, and many other series young anime fans of today love wouldn't even exist! This was the foundation upon which uber random anime comedy was built.
darkwhisper
Horrible horrible horrible.. the worst anime i have ever watched. its not funny, its boring and i cant grow attached to any of the characters... the art is mediocre but its not all about the art when it comes to watching anime... its just simply not my style anime.. the main character is just way to loud and annoying. I wish it wasnt the dubbed version i watched first. Maybe subbed is better i dont know. but in my opinion...NEXT ANIME PLZ!
Gridley
Excel Saga is more like EVERYONE IS ON DRUGS SAGA! This anime is 90`s version of Gintama because most jokes are hit and less miss to me. It`s like making fun of common anime cliches and to deconstruct it. All these moments and randomness are blended done right. Story Plot is not that good but every single episode is just stand alone episodic fun, the episodic formula is using the same formula as Gintama but Excel Saga came out before Gintama. If you expect the story to be serious then you`ll be disappointed, just watch it for the randomness fun, over the top fun roller coaster ride, and crazyness. You`ll see tonsof references in this anime like Mobile Suit Gundam, Space Battleship Yamato, Dragonball, Captain Harlock, Ginga Tetsudou 999, Di Gi Charat, Hokuto No Ken, etc.
Art
It`s a good art during the 1990`s era, i like the blend of Moe and Gar in this anime.
Sound
I like the OP theme song, the rest are forgettable.
Characters
Excel is your typical energetic obnoxious girl, i find her annoying at first but i ended up liking her, i just like her motivation through out the show.
Hyatt is your typical Yamato Nadeshiko archetype character, she`s bland because she do nothing but vomit blood and get sick most of the time.
The rest of the characters are entertaining and fun to see in my eyes.
Also Pedro Domingo is like 90`s version of Madao because his entire life is full of suffering until the Power of Afro kicks in.
Enjoyment
I marathon all episodes in 2 day, this is the most enjoyable anime from start to finish, it`s been ages since i enjoy all episodes of anime i`ve watched in the past.
Here`s what i learned in Excel Saga
-The Power of Afro Hairstyle is more powerful than Power of Friendship
-Robots came out of nowhere make this show better
-All the cliches are making fun of cliches, more like deconstruction of cliches
-Humans can have sex with the Universe, Universe can get Pregnant
-Dogs poop during romantic scene
-Cute characters are the deceiving ones
-Everyone is on drugs
-Nabeshin is the best self-insert character in every anime ever (Nabeshin appeared on Sket Dance anime too)
Excel Saga is the Best Comedy Anime of the 1990`s era but it`s not a perfect comedy.
If you like Gintama then you should give it a shot, if not then ignore it.
HAIL ILPALAZZO!!!
GLORY TO ILPALAZZO!!!
Nito-San
"There is one Earth! If it splits in half, there'll be two! All mankind is scum — and bee-yoo-ti-ful!" Okay, so here's how I explain Excel Saga: imagine if FLCL lasted for 26 episodes, took even more liberties, and was even more bat-shit crazy. In other words, Excel Saga just doesn't break the fourth wall...It breaks every wall and shreds it into billions of piece to a point that you can't see it anymore. Confused? Let me tell you the first episode and don't worry I am not spoiling anything: A high school girl is skipping down a street all happy, then gets hit by a car,is in an ambulance where the EMT actually sees her memories projecting right behind him. She then dies, but is then saved by the embodiment of the universe, where we find out that she is actually an alien who lives underneath the earth, working under an evil Emperor who kills her all the time by sending her down a bottomless pit. The universe then comes back again to save her and her Emperor tells her, that her mission is to go assassinate the author of the manga that this show is based on.
I am dead fucking serious. DEAD. FUCKING. SERIOUS. So you're probably wondering does the show actually follow a plot...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...actually yes it does. Granted, there are actually many plot lines and yes as you expect they are all unbelievably ridiculous, but they are all freaking hilarious. For example, you have the story of Pedro, the Hispanic worker who lives in Japan for some odd reason, then dies, but for the rest of the series is a ghost who finds his family has forgotten him. Then, there are the three guys, who live next door to Excel and Hyatt, who work for the Department of City security and their shenanigans. Even the dog Menshi, who is terrified of Excel as she calls her the emergency food supply, has a backstory that actually out of all the episodes in the series was the most intense. I just told you less than a quarter of the craziness that happens, there is so much more to this show that you have to watch it for yourself.
Like I said earlier, this show is just as crazy as Fooly Cooly, though this actually came before, but a similar thing they share is that they experiment different animations and genres. Hell, the subtitle of the show is Quack Experimental Anime…what ever that means. I really like the setup of this show. I love how every episode starts out with the manga creator stating that this episode will be this or that. The episodes range from high amount of fan service, sports anime, to romantic comedy. It’s interesting how the show is not afraid to be ridiculous possible and tries to do new things. I love how it reminds the audience that what we are watching is a parody and not just something we should just go with. However, it’s the ridiculousness that makes it not one of the best plots out there.
Audio-wise, the show is opening theme is infectious, the eye catchers will make you do air piano, the ending theme is hysterically dramatic, and the score is simply awesome. The voice acting on the Japanese track is played a little more natural than the English track, but oh lord is the English track truly something of a spectacle. Two Voice Actresses play Excel in English, because literally halfway through production Jessica Calvello lost her voice, therefore she was replaced by Larissa Walcott. Once you watch the series, you’ll understand how Jessica lost it. Larissa holds the performance up but I kind of like Jessica more because Larissa gets a little annoying with the scratchy voice where as Jessica keeps a sugar-hyped valley-girl tone. This show is also probably the earliest role of Monica Rial as Hyatt, however, this time she’s not the loud mouth character she always plays but actually the exact opposite. I love how Pedro actually has a Hispanic accent in this show as well. Also, Vic Mignogna is in an episode as a talking dog. Here’s the thing though, while the English track is amazing, the Japanese track probably could be the superior track on the account that Shinichi Watanabe (NOT THE DIRECTOR OF COWBOY BEBOP), the director of this show, voices himself. Not to mention the voice actresses in Japanese of Excel and Hyatt mention themselves in the show. Either which track you listen, you will not be disappointed.
Visual-wise, the show holds up well for a show that was made at the beginning of an era where anime would garner a larger international audience. Character models might be standard but at least no character is copy of each other. I’m surprised how visual the show is considering how wordy and unorganized it is. Characters move at an intense speeds and are brilliantly animated. One episode where the animation shines the most is in episode 17 and let me just say my view of animation has changed forever. I’m serious.
Overall, Excel Saga is hilarious. It’s a show that basically takes everything we love about anime and expresses it in a way that is completely over-the-top but not taken seriously. I think everyone should check this show out especially is you thought FLCL was too short. I also recommend watching the OVA successor, Puni Puni Poemi. In short, it’s actually less organized than Excel Saga, but just as hilarious and outrageous. Now if you’ll excuse me, I going to train to become a Quack Experimental Anime Voice Actor.
ghostintheruins
Easily in my Top 3 anime though it's hard to choose. I love the off the wall comedy and slapstick of Excel Saga. All of the characters are really cool.
RoarkTenjouin
Every genre of anime has to start somewhere. For example, the Real Robot genre would not exist if it was not for the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and most "Manly" anime would be completely different were it not for Fist of the North Star. And random comedy/parody anime would not be what it currently is without Excel Saga. Story: 10/10 The reason I give the story such a high score isn't because of the overall plot - it's because of the episodes. Each episode of the show (With exception of the clip shows, as well as the last episode, which was made to purposelyget the show canceled) is designed to parody a different genre of anime (some episodes actually parody multiple genres of anime, and even have direct references to other shows). The only genre that I can think of that wasn't parodied is the harem genre - but given the fact that, well, I can't really think of any harems that came before Excel Saga (the only one that I can really think of that's really of note is Urusei Yatsura - and it's extremely debatable if that's a harem), this is actually something I'm willing to forgive. I even found the parodies that I had no knowledge of the source material hilarious - they were just executed so well.
Art - 8/10
The animation still looks pretty good - it's not choppy, and while it is a bit rough, it has aged very well. It's also really colorful - and that's something I really appreciate an anime for. Not much else I can say here.
Sound - 7/10
Now, if I was simply talking about the soundtrack, I would give this a 9/10, since the OST is pretty good, and the opening theme is easily one of my all time favorites. However, I'm also including the voice acting in the dub (I watched the dub)...and this is what will make or break the show for you. Not because the dub is a bad one (I would have switched to the sub if that was the case), but rather, because of Excel's voice. See, Excel has an extremely hi-pitched voice. In fact, Excel's original voice actress had to stop voicing Excel and let someone else handle the role because the strain she put on her voice was very severe.
Character - 10/10
The show's cast is a very diverse one, so I'll describe the 4 main characters, Excel, Hyatt, Menchi, and Lord Ilpalazzo. Excel is a dumb blonde, but she's self aware of this - in fact, the last episode has her state that she is a moron; most of the episodes would not have the plot that they have if it wasn't for her screwing up the missions assigned to her by her master (and target of her affections), Ilpalazzo. Hyatt is a direct contrast to this, being extremely quiet; however, she constantly dies. Menchi is a dog that Excel "adopts" as an emergency food supply, and he is constantly in fear of being eaten - it's not until near the end where he overcomes this fear and starts to bond with Excel. And lastly, IlPalazzo is Excel's superior (and the head of ACROSS, an organization dedicated to, predictably, world domination), except in his case, he's more of just reluctant to put up with Excel - he is constantly shown doing other things, like learning how to play guitar or playing a visual novel on a handheld gaming system.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I found myself laughing at jokes I didn't even understand. THAT'S how funny this show was. And Excel won me over after one episode - THAT's just how likable of a character she is.
Overall: 10/10
I would not recommend this to a beginner, since most of the jokes will fly over your head. This is a title that the more anime you have seen, the funnier you will find it.
RIYL: Gintama, FLCL, Is This a Zombie?, Martian Successor Nadesico
p0pr0cks
Well the story doesn't exist, nor does it need to. The art is lacking at best. The sound is great, the charaters are over the top in a good way. Almost every episode is a blast to watch just to see what random event they could think of next. And any anime that provides "option 3: put it in" when the main character wont stop talking, is definitely exploring a new realm of character development and story telling. I recommend this anime to anyone with a short attention span!
Dionkeykong
Welcome ladies and gents fasten your seatbelts cause this is the big one.This is a review of one of the craziest,zaniest animes the world has witnessed,Excel Saga. And it's not just crazy,this anime is a very important chapter in anime's history..You might be thinking that it's quite a bold claim for an anime i rated a mere 6,right?Well kinda no,you see ES was conceived in a time when comedy/parody genre was still in short trousers or in some cases not even a fertilised egg in the minds of people.And some day a mad bloke from Japan thought:"Know what,i think i can make one batshit crazy animeand people will love me and think i'm interesting and at parties they won't avoid me like they would avoid frenchkissing a bulldog"..And boy the world laughed and laughed,but when the damn thing hit our screens it did so with a punch so deadly it puts Goku to shame.
Story?....Erm....There is one but don't expect a soul crushing story or anything of the sorts.It's basically a blonde airhead(where have i seen this before?)who has just graduated from high school and as she dances and sings through the streets,she has a taste of the real world in the from of a truck.However,an unknown entity decided to bring her back to life(sounds like a female Jesus),because it's not yet her time to die....Note at this point that this is how the anime starts..From that point on she becomes the wildly annoying and totally useless tool of destruction of a sketchy guy called Lord Il Palazzo,who plans to conquer Earth.Her very first task is to punish those pesky rats that spread anarchy with their evil designs that demoralise the youths,the manga artists or more specifically,the manga creator of Excel Saga.And just like that you're into a world of insanity,blood and guts..My kind of place.
Quack Experimental Excel Saga as is the full name is proof that over there in the distant Japan mangakas have been heavily influenced by the Dutch artists and went heavy on the drugs.Fortunately that didn't end up with their ears or noses cut off but it shows in animes like this.It's violent,crude,primal,politically incorrect,and it's just the thing normal people like me were waiting for.People who are tired of the Dragon Ball or Neon Genesis copies and are in desperate need of something to bring light to their empty souls..The weird thing is that it does it in such a way that it doesn't need to resort toilet humor like South Park does.And as a rare treat the protagonists are the bad guys.
Starting with Excel who is not very bright.When it was raining sharp razors she was the only one to be holding an umbrella.This results in forcing Il Palazzo to use any weapon he has in his disposal on her just to shut her up.One has to wonder how she managed to get to graduation..And though she mighgt be annoying she isn't as annoying as you might think,she is a very well thought of character and brings back memories of some old friends in other animated series.What's more,she's a walking-breathing natural disaster.The situations that unfold when she sets out to do a mission beggar belief.And don't get me started with what happens when you add Hyatt to the mix.It's as explosive as drinking a whole pint of vodka with just a minor splash of juice..It's gonna make you vomit blood from every hole in your body..Much like Hyatt then.Last but not least Pedro,the migrant construction worker..You might thing he's there just to fill the time but trust me he does play a major role in the whole disaster..Speaking of disaster that last episode was banned from airing in TV so you know you're in for some surprise.
As for them soundtracks and VA..Dear mother of god!!!It's out of this world.Everything from the little things to the opening and ending songs are just fab.Mad props to Excel's VA who really did bring the character to life and gave her a very unique presence.I'm sure i've never heard such an outstanding performance,EVER.As for the opening song it has that 90's feel to it,oldschool stuff,kinda like Fresh Prince of Bell Air.And the ending song was Menchi singing or rather barking a ballad.I loved it all honestly.
Now i'll admit that ES is not without faults and sure enough if you watch it in one sitting it becomes incredibly tiresome but no matter what it is special and it definitely is memorable.I'll also admit that it isn't an anime that suits everyone's tastes,after all it is a comedy and comedy strikes differently among the masses.But if you are like me and you love black humour,slapstick comedy with a splash and dash of sickness then this is the one for ya.Hope you do give it a chance,it will amaze you.
Fear_the_Reefer
“This world is corrupt! In order to prevent further degeneration, the natural order must be put to right. And yet! Should the human race be unified under one rule, the ignorant masses would doubtlessly experience untold trouble adjusting to the new status quo. Revolution, though necessary, should not happen all at once, for such a thing would overwhelm the very problem it was created to solve. Nay, like the proverbial toad in hot water, the world must be conquered gradually, so the ideals of the future can have time to settle in the minds of the people. Thus, rather than aiming to conquer the entireworld, or even an entire country, an act that would most assuredly be met with violent opposition and unflattering propaganda, a more prudent first step towards overall domination would be a much more reasonable goal... The conquest of a single city! Yes, this far more modest approach will allow the population to acclimate to our presence, while also giving us some very lenient room for setback. Oh, and we also don’t have much of a budget, so kindly see yourself to a part time job or something.”
These are more-or-less the words that greet new recruits of the highly ideological organization Across! While the majority of this organization remains shrouded in mystery, but we can at least indulge in some insight into the situation of the F City F Prefectural branch, which may or may not be the only one in existence, and is overseen by the ambitious and campy Lord Ilpalazzo, a man who rarely ever leaves his lofty throne while giving orders to his minions, the dysfunctional duo of Excel, a hyperactive zealot, and Hyatt, a demure beauty who would sooner spit blood on you than say hi to you. With their forces combined, along with a pet dog ans emergency food supply named Menchi, these two constant failures are at the forefront of the battle for city conquest, when they’re not battling to pay the rent and put food on the table, all while living right next door to the opposition that’s trying to stop them. As the battle heats up between the forces of Across and a brigade of underpaid civil servants, whose side will you choose? Or rather, with all the wacky and nonsensical comedy going on, will you even bother to pick one?
I’ve probably talked about JC Staff the second most out of any other animation studios, right behind Studio Gainax, and I’ve made a habit of saying that it’s visual style is inconsistent. Well, inconsistent is the word of the day here, because I’ve seen them put out a bunch of different looking anime, but I’ve never seen anything else in their library that looked like Excel Saga. This is probably because they shared production duties with another Studio, namely Studio Shaft, and to call this an unholy union would be an understatement. Shaft has always been really weird visually, and when their sensibilities are combined with the animation of a company that can’t seem to stay consistent from scene to scene, let alone from episode to episode, Excel saga is probably the strangest looking anime that I’ve ever seen. And to put that into context, I posted a review over three years ago of the series that ripped this one off, Panty and Stocking. At least in that show, the visual changes were intentional and artistic.
The animation quality here is indescribable. That’s not to say it’s good beyond words, it’s to say that I literally can’t describe it. I honestly can’t even figure out what kind of budget it had, or how it managed said budget, because the level of quality goes up and down more often than your mom making the rent money. There are scenes that flow beautifully, with graceful animation and smooth movements, and then there are moments where movement becomes stilted and stiff, with long periods of talking heads periodically interrupted by bits of movement. There are two clip shows that obviously exist for budgetary purposes... Both of them even spend a lot of time recapping the same character arc! And then there are scenes where the action is happening so fast that you’d swear it was going at a million frames per second. I can only assume the budget was so high that the studio, also high, didn’t give a shit how it was used, and the clip episodes were done more so to make up for a lack of ideas than a lack of funds.
The characters whose images were bought to life in Koshi Rikdo’s original manga have been given a massive cartoony upgrade... Or downgrade, depending on the scene... And while they don’t look too unrealistic, for the most part, they still look like anime caricatures of real people. These designs are mostly reflective of the original manga, but with the aforementioned cartoony upgrade presenting them as more polished and malleable, making them ideal for the anime’s screwball comedic style. The backgrounds, on the other hand, are much more stable and consistent, and they’ve been endowed with way more detail than they actually needed, as the director makes use of very short cuts. The lighting can at times remind you of an actual stage play, as even an episode taking place in a sewer can be more than bright and open enough for you to enjoy the action, without ruining the illusion of a claustrophobic environment. The set pieces are also incredibly diverse, as the characters venture out into an untold number of unpredictable locations, and they clearly had a lot of fun bringing them all to life.
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The music is just as bizarre as the visuals, but personally, I like it a lot better. I own a couple of CDs from this show’s soundtrack, and back when I had a car that had a CD player, I would often steal tracks from both of them if I felt like making an Instrumental mix. The music was produced by Victor Entertainment, and they get a much higher billing in the series than most music producers ever do. They totally deserve it, too, putting out a soundtrack full of instrumental and synthetic sound, which work both as standalone tunes and occasionally as parodies of the musical convention of other shows. A good example would be the bland, repetitive track it attached to a literal dating game, which was somehow able to sound good while still capturing the cringe of the harem genre. They forego the synthetic tunes completely in a later episode focusing on a rock star character, and it winds up sounding legitimately badass. I’d keep going, naming off good tracks and why I like them, but it’s probably better to just say that it’s a really diverse, really weird soundtrack.
The opening, Love/Loyalty, is also one of my favorites. The song itself sounds like something from Michael Jackson, which isn’t surprising if you’ve seen some of the director’s other works. It’s sung by The Excel girls, a fictitious band made up of two idol singers pretending to be members of Across(They appear as characters in the series, too), and they seem to have a lot of chemistry together. The video is basically what you’d expect from an anime... The main characters being shown in different situations, with the rest of the cast getting highlighted in brief shots, only it’s done with that special brand of Excel Saga insanity. It’s skippable, but the ending theme isn’t. They being the dog character Menchi on screen to sing about how she’s resigned herself to being eaten(In barks, while a woman translates), which is amazing in it’s own right, but then you have the dub, where they stuck a lot of jokes in the credits, some of them actually being funny.
If you’ve forgotten the list I posted a few years ago of my top ten favorite English dubs, then let me get you up to speed: Excel Saga has one of the best dubs ever. Period. It was one of ADV’s attempts to translate Japanese comedy for American audiences while still retaining the spirit of the original, and since Stephen Foster wasn’t involved at any point, they pulled it off beautifully. Every performance is either good in all the right ways or bad in all the right ways, with very little room for error... For the most part. It was, I believe, almost perfect, and if you know the series well, you pretty much know what I’m referring to. Jessica Calvello, who disappeared from the business for nearly a decade before recently making a triumphant career resurgence, plays the title character of Excel, and I’m going to stake my reputation on the claim that it’s the single best performance in anime dubbing history. Her role was an extremely demanding one, but she still owned it, and I’d even argue that she did a better job than the original seiyuu.
Due to the translation differences between the two languages, the English dialogue would often be a lot longer than the source, and instead of making changes to shorten it, Calvello just ran with it, talking way faster than her Japanese counterpart without ever diminishing the quality of her performance. Even during her most rapid speeches, you could feel how devoted she was to Ilpalazzo, how enthusiastically zealous she was for Across’s cause, and how little she cared for anything else. She could portray pain and suffering even better than Brittany Karboeski can, and get this, she even spoke with a perfect Kansai accent... well, as perfect as the English language can convey. She plays it like she’s tried to get rid of it, but it’s still kinda there, and it only comes out full force when she’s shocked or emotionally overwhelmed. The amount of control she had over her voice was insane, and,well, it took it’s toll.
You’ve probably heard about this, as it’s kind of a famous story in the industry, but Jessica Calvello put so much raw energy into this role, pushing herself so far beyond the limit, that she wound up injuring her throat, and had to be replaced by Larissa Wolcott halfway through the series, and it’s a noticeable step down. Larissa didn’t do a bad job, or anything... To be fair, she did an admirable job matching the pace of Calvello’s performance, and anybody who can motormouth like that deserves recognition for it... But she just didn’t have the acting chops to measure up. It felt wrong. It was kinda like when Dan Castelanetta played the Genie... Yeah, he did a fine job, but he’s no Robin Williams. On a side note, Calvello also had a knack for Adlibbing that helped to Americanize the humor in some neat ways, which is probably why some of Excel’s dialogue gets stranger after the switch. Thankfully, there were a bunch of other really good performances that we didn’t have to lose.
In addition to a handful of heavyweight voice acting veterans proving their ranges by playing an unbelievable number of characters... Like John Swasey, Spike Spencer, Tiffany Grant and then-newcomer Kira Vincent Davis... They even got great performances out of two of my least favorite voice actors, Mandy Clark and Mark Laskowski. Clark did an amazing job on the tragic pint-sized assassin Cossette Sara, and Laskowski’s knack for sounding stiff and hammy at the same time was a perfect fit for the goofball Iwata. It’s a lot of fun hearing Chris Patton play a rock star, as he actually got to sing the translated songs, and he fucking nails each one. It’s a shame he wasn’t in Beck. Rob Mungle uses an over-the-top latino accent to play the immigrant Pedro, and while I was never a huge fan of that character/story arc, his commitment to the character was impressive. Brett Weaver was also impossible to ignore as Nabeshin, the parodic avatar of director Shinichi Watanabe, playing him as a kind of white Richard Roundtree(his words, not mine).
Rounding out the main cast, this anime was my introduction to Monica Rial, whose portrayal of Hyatt is probably one of the best in her repertoire. Taking a step up from her Seiyuu counterpart, she incorporates the character’s anemia and weak constitution directly into her speech, as she perpetually sounds like she’s on the verge of fainting. She also has no problem at all with all of Hyatt’s... Well, let’s just say her ‘bodily malfunctions.’ Jason Douglas takes the flat-voiced, one note character of Ilpalazzo and seems to channel Maximilian Pegasus to create a more foppish, melodramatic shine that the character was so sorely missing. They really didn’t have any need to redub the character of Menchi, as she’s a freaking dog whose only lines consist of dog noises, and they could have easily just kept the Japanese performance like Pokemon did with Pikachu, but they cast Hilary Haag anyway, and her dog noises are almost as funny as Luci Christian’s duck noises. Even if you’re a hardcore sub fan, this is one exception I highly recommend you make.
If the name Shinichi Watanabe means nothing to you, it means you’ve never seen one of his anime. If you had, trust me, you’d know it. Watanabe, or “Nabeshin,” as he’s also known, is something of an auteur, as his work generally has a distinct style and personality to it that’s directly reflective of his influence on it. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, as any follower of Akiyuki Shinbou or Hayao Miyazaki will tell you, and for Nabeshin, it’s kind of both. He often gets praised for his work in the genre of anime comedy, as well as for his flare for satire and genre parody, and the results have been... Well, mixed. His work tends to consist of lightning fast pacing, rapidfire jokes, and constant references to other anime, and that’s pretty much Excel Saga in a nutshell. Granted, he’s worked as episodic and storyboarding director for a lot of other peoples’ projects, but he’s taken on very few himself, so it’s easier with him than it is with most directors to examine what it is that he’s all about.
His work, particularly in reference to Excel Saga, has garnered a reputation for being insane and random, and it’s here that I feel I have to disagree. The Excel Saga anime is not the work of a madman, or an unhinged mind. The writing on this show is in fact very calculated. With examples of genuine insanity and randomness out there, like FLCL and Rejected, Excel Saga skews closer to one of those focus-group facades of insanity and randomness, like (and I am so sorry, but you know it’s true) Invader Zim, but with an extra bit of conceit and arrogance hiding behind it. Nabeshin took the premise and characters of the manga, saw how offbeat it all was, and used it as an excuse to just not give a fuck. Yes, Excel Saga is one giant bag of fucks not being given, and by God does it show. It’s so easy just to write whatever you want, make fun of what’s popular, and do constant pop culture references... That’s why Family Guy does it. Excel Saga is, at it’s core, the true anime version of Family Guy. Moreso than Lucky Star will ever be.
And for those of you getting annoyed at me for interpreting the intentions of a creator that I’ve never met before, I’m not just talking out of my ass on this. I know that the anime wasn’t a product of actual insanity or inspiration, because I know what those things look like in the narrative... I have, after all, read the original manga. The Excel Saga manga, created by Koshi Rikdo in the 90’s, is an example of what true insanity looks like... It’s not unhinged and disconnected ramblings of randomness, it’s a genuinely batshit narrative that reads like it made perfect sense to the person writing it. Yeah, it looks bonkers from the outside looking in, but it still gives off a sense of consistence and intention. It was a grand, sweeping epic with foreshadowing, themes, depth, smart callbacks and meticulous attention to detail. It’s like if Lord of the Rings were written by a mental patient. I don’t know how Rikdo actually feels about Nabeshin getting all the popular credit for his work, I mean he DID take a couple of ideas from the anime long after the fact, but I still don’t picture him looking upon it fondly.
One of the biggest downsides to this is in terms of characterizations. Nabeshin didn’t just bastardize the original concept, he also turned almost the entire cast into one-note jokes and shallow gimmicks. There’s almost no character development in the entire series, outside of a few plot-specific changes and a few early actions taken from the manga. Aside from these, their actions are largely interchangeable. There’s not a whole lot I can say about that, as I don’t really want to give away too many spoilers about either entity(especially the manga), but there is one character I might be able to offer up... The fourth Civil Servant and later Municipal Force member, Misaki Matsuya. She starts out in the manga as a bit of a tsundere, spurning the annoying advances of Iwata, and in the anime, that’s basically where she stays... A violent and ultra-capable stick in the mud with stilted speech patterns and a no-nonsense demeanor. She even legitimately tries to kill Iwata in one episode, but can’t because her gun misfires.
In the manga, however, she gets a lot more development, and feels a lot more like an actual person. She becomes friends with her teammates, and shows at least enough compassion towards Iwata to care whether he lives or dies. Did you know she’s a hardcore gamer in her free time, and that she wanders over to her coworkers apartments to hang out if she’s feeling goofy from losing sleep to a gaming session? Did you know she forms a bond with computer geek Sumiyoshi by helping him to test out his elaborate computer set-ups? Did you know that when their boss Kabapu’s plans get out of hand, she actually attempts to leave the country to avoid getting dragged into them? No, you don’t know any of that, because Nabeshin did jack shit with her character. And she’s not a special case, either. Every single character in this series has expansive development that far outshines anything they did in the anime, and yes, I mean literally every character, from the pedophile scientist to the ill-fated dog Menchi. If I told you what was supposed to happen to Iwata down the road, you’d seriously think I was fucking with you.
And I know it’s tacky to judge an anime by comparing it to the original manga, but I’m not doing this to condemn it for being inaccurate, but as a device to show you just how lazy it is. Yes, that’s right, the Excel Saga anime isn’t crazy, it’s lazy. It takes what it needs to from the manga, and then just puts no effort into anything that it did with it. Don’t get me wrong, the music and animation clearly had a lot of love put into them, but in terms of writing and story-telling, and especially with the comedy, Nabeshin just did the easiest things he could at every turn. Breaking the fourth wall is easy. Random gag humor is easy. Parody, or at least Nabeshin’s brand of it, is easy. Justifying your show’s problems by having characters complain about them, and having meta characters talk about the production, is taking the easy way out. Having your Lupin-inspired stand-in complain about the lack of story and plot doesn’t create a story or plot. You can only wring so much of an excuse out of calling your show “Experimental” before people start to wonder what substance you’re actually experimenting with.
And I can’t just shut up and turn off my brain, and enjoy it as a goofy comedy, because about 90% of the time, I just don’t find it funny. I’ve heard people refer to it as satire... Are you kidding me? Satire has a point. Satire has logic. Satire has intentions. There is no satire in this show. The closest it gets to satire is picking a vague genre, blatantly calling out what’s wrong with it, exaggerating a few cliches and then just adding some weird shit like monkeys to the mix. The very idea of an existing internal logic is completely absent. If there’s any satire in it, and if any of the comedy in it is smart in some way, then it’s buried under culturally impenetrable Japanese references. There’s a rule in comedy that if you’re going to do a reference joke, it has to work as both a reference and a joke, so that people who don’t get the reference can still enjoy the joke. I first saw this series almost fifteen years ago, and I still don’t think I’ve seen a quarter of the anime I’d have to in order to fully enjoy the experience.
Excel Saga was originally available from ADV Films, but after they went under, this property was one of the many they wound up selling off. It’s currently available from Funimation, and while the form they’ve released it in isn’t as visually impressive as its’ previous forms, it is more affordable and easier to obtain. The original manga by Koshi Rikdo is available stateside from Viz, and while a couple of volumes were impossible to find a few years back, it’s all readily available nowadays for some decent prices. An extra episode called Going too Far serves kind of as the true ending of the series, and it can be found on most DVD sets. A spin-off series called Puni Puni Poemy is also available, and it actually IS genuinely insane.
I feel like the reason Excel Saga is looked upon so fondly is because people generally haven’t read much of the manga. This is also probably why Nabeshin’s adaptation of Hayate the Combat Butler wasn’t as well received, because people actually cared about that title's source material. As for me, I’m not gonna lie and pretend that it’s a good show, but I do I have a soft spot for it. It’s mostly because of the dub, but it’s also because it was one of my formative anime. When I decided to venture beyond what was available on TV, this was one of the manga that my local library introduced me to, along with Love Hina, Chobits, and Azumanga Daioh. I can't out and out hate it, but I do consider it to be something of a guilty pleasure, like how I occasionally might get bored, fire up Netflix and watch a Family Guy episode. It’s crap, but once in a while, crap is comforting. I do recommend checking out the series sometime, if for nothing else than for the awesome English dub, but don’t pretend it’s some comedic masterpiece. I give Excel Saga a 4/10.
EOTW
Story (6.7/10) – As with most parodies there isn’t too much of a story here. There are a few outlying plots (ACROSS’ conquest, Pedro’s redemption, civil servants), but it seems as if the plot is simply there so JC staff (creators of Excel saga) can parody other anime genres/clichés. I have no problem with this of course, because that is the point of this anime after all, but if I’m being asked to rate the story I would say the concepts are okay. In other words, if you went into Excel Saga expecting a groundbreaking story, you are in for a disappointment. It’s kindof disappointing that I have to give the story of a parody anime a rating because that is not the focus of this show, but if I must I would say the story was okay.
Characters (8.0/10) - What makes of breaks this series for most people is the main character, Excel. Most people will either love her extremely hyper and loud character or find her to be unbearably annoying. Most people who hate this show really just can’t stand Excel’s loud, hyper, “pun”-saying ways and it’s what ruins the show for them. I however enjoyed Excel’s character and thought her characteristics and the way she was, was perfect for a parody anime, such as Excel saga. As for the rest of the cast, none of the other characters really stood out to be as impactful as Excel was, but there are a few others that I enjoyed (Nabeshin usually managed to get some laughs out of me). The rest of the cast each had their moments however and I found the cast of this series to be overall enjoyable.
Sound (7.7/10) - The soundtrack for this series was, to put it simply effective. Nothing cutting edge or incredible, it just got the job done. The tracks seemed to be appropriate for the scenes, so as boring as this sound review may seem, the tracks were pretty good, but not incredible. However, I was going to give the sound a 7.5, but since I loved the OP so much, I gave the series a 7.7 for sound (it’s just some damn catchy).
Animation (8.1/10) - The animation in this series is very nice and (I believe) it has stood the test of time, meaning it does not look bad at all when compared to today’s series. The character designs for this series are pretty nice as well and are faithful to Koshi Rikdo’s original manga. Everything looks really good (despite the fact that it’s a series from 1999-2000) and I really have no major complaints about the animation.
Enjoyment (8.7/10) - I really enjoyed this series for the most part, the characters fit just right for what the anime was going for, the soundtrack did its job and the animation was great. As I said before Excel is a huge part of anyone’s enjoyment for this series so, again if you find her to be too annoying you will most likely not enjoy this series. The reason my score for enjoyment is not higher is because some of the episodes in this series really missed for me, barley managing any chuckles out of me. This could be because I have not seen many examples for the anime that the episodes were parodying (for example, it’s tough to find a sports anime parody funny when you haven’t seen many sports anime). However, this show is episodic for the most part so a few episodes not really hitting the mark with me did not affect my enjoyment for this series too harshly. Towards the end of the series, the writers do actually seem to run out of ideas (as they joke about in the actual series), but what they improvise/come up with is not bad at all IMO. However when the writers decided to make 2 serious, “no-gag” episodes, they just seemed a bit out of place. These episodes could have been more enjoyable for me if they did not feel awkward giving the tone of the rest of the series, I felt myself thinking “I’m supposed to feel bad for Excel now?” Despite a few minor gripes this series was fun and I could see myself re-watching it again and still getting a kick out of it.
Overall score =39.2/50 (78%) or 7.84/10
Sick_Bastard
Story - (8/10) - Very Good In Excel Saga, there really is no story and the series is quite episodic, but when they parody something (which is pretty much all they do), they do it well. In the final 3 episodes, they force a storyline into it, and I did not like that very much. Nothing is safe from being parodied by Excel! Dragonball, Gundam, nothing! If you are well versed in Japanese anime's and pop culture (at the time the anime was made), there will be non-stop laughs for you. This is one of those animes that you can watch over and over, and eachtime pick up a new joke because there are so many of them hidden. Simply - Excel Saga set's out to parody, poke fun, and make you laugh - and it achieves all of those, so who is to complain? It wouldn't be Excel Saga if it had some seriously deep, emotional story within it.
Art - (7/10) - Good
The Art is really nothing to get worked up about. Your average animation from the late 90's. The character designs were rather good though, and Excel and Hyatt turned out very cute. There is really not much detail put into the environments, but there doesn't need to be. The wavy-arms and super-deformed facial expressions done by Excel and company are well done though, and very funny.
Sound - (7/10) - Good
I watched this series subbed, because the dub isn't much to speak for. (Read - it sucks). Excel's voice takes a little getting used to, and is still rather annoying throughout the series, but other than that, there is nothing really wrong with the
sound. The only fault is Excel's voice, which is a big thing, since she happens to be the main character and does most of the energetic talking.
Characters - (8/10) - Very Good
The characters all fill out their purpose in this series - to make you laugh, and hard at that. Each character, though come and go as they do, are designed nice and have a nice simple look to them. The girls are pretty cute too, as mentioned before, and the character designs were done very well, and the characters were some-what believable for what they were doing. Most of the characters are very unique, and often break the wall between the show and the person watching the show (addressing the audience, so on), which makes it seem less real, but it isn't really that real to begin with, now is it?
Enjoyment - (10/10) - Outstanding
I laughed my ass off all during this series. Very, very funny series, worth a look even if you aren't into absurdest/slapstick comedies. I really enjoyed watching this anime, and never felt myself getting bored during the episodes (just having Excel on the screen jumpin' around makes you not bored - I cannot stress how damn energetic she is!).
Overall - (8/10) - Very Good
Don't go looking to Excel Saga if you want superb character developments, mature comedy, or a great plot - you will be disappointed. But if all you want to do is laugh, you have found the show that is for you. You can compare Excel Saga to the Austin Powers movies series, scratch the pervertedness. I would say this series is alright for ages 10 and up to watch, ommiting the infameous 'Going Too Far Episode' (Episode 26), which involves massive blood and gore, blatant pedophilia, mature sexual humor, and the Excel dismembering all the characters. (Don't get me wrong though, its funny as hell, just not OK for anybody under, say 15, rest of the series is fine though).
Kamina455
If your here for story or plot, you chose the wrong media (check the manga for that, it has plenty). If your here for mindless humor, jokes that can make you laugh and be disgusted (especially on episode 26) at the same time, you came to the right place. Quack and Experimental are appropriate words for this show, a work of Nabeshin (nick name of Shinichi Watanabe) more than the Koshi Rikdo (the manga-ka). The series loosely follows stories from the manga, using it as a jumping off point to a parody on a genre of anime. This leads to its greatest strength and flaw,its story. While its story is humorous, it lacks a plot for the first 20 or so episodes, consisting of mostly random events that have no relation to each other.
Characters are greatly altered from their original manga forms to both good and bad effects. Excel fast talking, while cute in the Japanese, can get a bit annoying in the dub. Illpalazo quest to be a rock and roll guitarist/singer and his obsession with dating sims is humorous (especially when the anime-only Key decides to sing about him). The biggest risk character change was to turn Shioji into a pedophile/child kidnapper (he was on the wall in the manga). While this is mostly "all in good fun" for the majority of the series, episode 26 makes one joke with this that will either make your laugh or make you turn off the tv.
Now to make a point, this show is not for kids. I stress this only because of episode 26 (I mentioned that three times by now, haven't I?). It was purposely made to be so explicit and over the top that it could not air during its original run on tv. "Sex, violence and young things to explore. Much too much for minors its only for adults. How will we ever get away with it." was accurate little jingle for the preview.
For those who like gag shows and comedies, this is a must see. For those who like anime for there continuity and amazing stories, this one is not for you.
